Paneer Butter Masala

Ingredients

• 14 oz paneer, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 4 tbsp butter, divided
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1-inch cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 medium ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (about 1 lb)
• 15 raw cashews
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, for garnish

Before you cook

• Cut the paneer into 3/4-inch cubes and set aside at room temperature
• Roughly chop the onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic
• Measure out the cashews, spices, sugar and cream so they're ready to add quickly

Steps

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter with the oil in a wide pot over medium heat
2. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and cloves and let them sizzle for 20 seconds
3. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes until softened
4. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and cashews and stir to combine
6. Cover the pot and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the tomatoes have broken down completely
7. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes
8. Pick out the cinnamon stick and cloves, then transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until completely smooth
9. Push the puree through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, scraping the underside of the strainer to push through as much as possible, and discard the solids left behind
10. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in the same pot over medium heat
11. Add the strained puree back to the pot along with the chili powder, turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt
12. Simmer the sauce for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly and the raw tomato smell is gone
13. Stir in the sugar and garam masala
14. Add the paneer cubes and gently stir to coat them in the sauce
15. Simmer for 3 minutes, just until the paneer is warmed through, without letting the sauce boil hard
16. Turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream
17. Crush the kasuri methi between your fingers and sprinkle it over the top
18. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice or naan